


Where Monsters Hide

by helaodinsdottir



Series: Where Monsters Hide [1]
Category: Deadpool (Movieverse), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, POV Female Character, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-18 11:31:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14851937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helaodinsdottir/pseuds/helaodinsdottir
Summary: post-infinity war pt 1 au. the world - the universe - has ended. years after the fight with thanos, everyone is still dealing with the repercussions. thanos is gone, hidden away. but you know how to draw him out. yet in the process, you’re afraid the ones you care about most might come to find out there are more monsters lurking than they realize. this series contains infinity war and deadpool 2 spoilers - although the deadpool spoilers won’t come until much later in the series!!





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic that i'm posting on ao3. hopefully you all enjoy it! i know it says deadpool 2 spoilers, but no mention of deadpool happens until later on. if you haven't seen it yet, never fear. you still have a while to go watch it (which i highly recommend). i'll also post warnings well beforehand when the deadpool spoilers will start happening! also, this fic is posted on my tumblr: [here!](http://helaodinsdottirr.tumblr.com/tagged/where-monsters-hide)

The universe, it seemed, had come to an end. And honestly, the whole thing was rather anti-climatic.

You weren’t sure what you had expected. Fiery meteors falling from the sky? A black hole swallowing everything up into its gaping jaws, plummeting everyone into the abyss? Certainly something a little more cinematic than everyone just crumbling to ash. Yet, whatever the method of universe-wide destruction, its effects were certainly felt. Half of everyone, everywhere, was gone. It wasn’t the sort of thing that any civilization could just recover from. It’d been about two Earth years, you thought, since it all happened. You’d seen enough planets, enough crumbled societies to know that the universe was still submerged in chaos. And where you were now, Earth, was one of the worst.

It was difficult for any government to reestablish order if half of the people were gone. It was almost interesting, the turning of tables. Abundant resources, with not enough people to make use of them. You’d visited Earth several times in the last year, and while they were attempts at some sort of official government trying to take hold, all attempts were overall unsuccessful. People no longer cared for patriotism or order; they cared for themselves, what members of their families they had left, and survival. And survival was oftentimes gruesome.

There was a small tug on your arm, pulling you from your thoughts. “Stay close, Y/N,” the hooded figure said to you, his voice low and quiet. “We’re almost there.”

You had slowed your pace in your reflections. You took your arm from your companion’s grasp, reaching up to pull the hood of your cloak farther over your face. It was a garment clearly meant for anonymity rather than any kind of warmth. The fabric was delicate and worn, small rips and tears received over the last several months of your travels. Your other two companions wore ones similar; dark in color, with large hoods covering their heads. There was something almost unnerving about their hoods; the thin fabric cast a darker shadow than what seemed possible, especially with the sun high overhead. A thick darkness lingered underneath the hood, obstructing any kind of defining facial features. You knew yours was the same. While identity wasn’t particularly important to anyone anymore, not being able to make out who might be underneath the hoods tended to cause unease. And that unease resulted in them being left alone. Getting to their destination without garnering unwanted attention was what was important.

You followed behind the other two, taking in what was left of what used to be the largest city in North America. It looked vastly different now; skyscrapers still towered above you, their steel bones slowly crumbling. Their glass skins shattered and broken; though some floors had wood and other assorted debris blocking the windows. The people that were left took residence in these architectural corpses, and many of the buildings sported graffiti, new and old. Mostly warnings and proclamations of which faction currently ruled the area. From what you gathered, there were probably at least fifty different ones just in this city alone. But despite the significant cut in numbers, more people meant more to protect your territory, to get supplies, and whatever else was needed to survive in this new world. There was one group in this city that was far larger than the rest. And that was precisely where you were trying to go.

You thought you were walking down a street, though it hardly bore any resemblance to such now. It was more like a long, narrow stretch of field with knee high grasses brushing against your sides as you walked. It was a strange contrast. Moss and vines covered abandoned cars and climbed up the sides of buildings. Some thicker foliage like bushes were starting to take root through the cracked asphalt and concrete. Given the chance, Mother Nature certainly came back to reclaim what was hers.

The farther you walked, you could see the shift. For most of your travels, people were scarce. They kept to themselves. Loners knew how to hide away from the views of others. Those in factions were a bit more brave, depending on which faction’s territory you were walking through, but you’d only had a couple of…unfortunate meetings with them. They weren’t too much of an issue, either. But you could almost feel the shift as you walked farther east.

Some of the grass and foliage had been cleared away, at least in the street. There were wooden stands lining some of the streets, people standing behind them. You couldn’t help but inspect some of them as you passed. Trinkets, fruit, vegetables, a couple advertised for livestock. The street was by no means full, but there were more people there than you had seen in months. You were quiet, and you didn’t linger in one spot for too long, trailing after the others so that they might not have to drag you along again. Still, you could feel eyes lingering on you. And your companions must have felt it too, because they slowed their pace a bit, staying closer to you as the three of you made your way down the street.

“Perhaps we should have picked more inconspicuous outfits,” one offered, sounding almost amused.

“So everyone could see your face and go in an uproar?” the other retorted. She didn’t sound nearly as cheerful. More like annoyed, maybe a little bored.

You sighed. “I swear to God, if I have to put up with both of you for one more day I’ll -“

You didn’t have to bother coming up with some sort of threat. A couple of men stepped in your path, so close that there didn’t seem to be any way they could have done so accidentally. You stopped, practically running into them.

“You’re not from here,” one of the men said, looking them over. He squinted at the three of you, obviously trying to see what the cloak wasn’t permitting.

“What was your first clue?” The silken voice of your partner asked, tone alight with a touch of mischief.

You elbowed him in the side. Now really wasn’t a good time for being a smart ass. “We need to speak with the King of Asgard - Thor. Or Steve Rogers.” Or really, anyone still left of the Avengers at this point. But it was kind of difficult to be taken seriously if you sounded too desperate. You knew that most of them were here, in New York. Or what remained of it.

The man who had spoken sneered at me. “They’re not available to talk to outsiders. State your business or get the hell out.” He wasn’t anyone you recognized. If he and his friend held any title of importance within this group, it must have been obtained after everything went to shit. They weren’t part of the Avengers, and the way he sounded, almost daring for you to step out of line, it didn’t seem like it would take much for them to turn violent.

“I believe I already stated our business,” you said patiently. “Please direct us to where we might be able to speak with them. Or let them know we’re here. They’ll want to know what we have to say.”

“We can’t just have anyone going to see our fearless leaders,” the other man said. He was younger than the first, though they did share a lot of similarities. Dark hair and eyes, similar body frame, and a dangerous sense of arrogance in the way that he looked you over. It wasn’t much of a reach to assume they were father and son. He lifted a hand, grinning a little as he lifted a hand, reaching for your hood. “Why don’t we just have a look at that pretty face of yours -“

There was a sound of scraping steel, and the son gasped, a blue sword lying at the base of his throat, the tip just pushing against his skin. The father cursed, starting to move, but in the next second there was a heavy thud and he was on his back, a black boot on his chest. He tried to get up, but he might as well have been pinned by a rock.

“Why don’t I just stick my sword through your throat and we can be done with it?” your companion suggested. You could hear the smile in her voice. “Take us to the King, or I’ll be making you another hole to breath out of.”

The younger man swallowed nervously, his hands up above his head like he was being arrested. It would almost be comical, if the people around you hadn’t taken notice that something was going on. They muttered quietly to themselves, gasping a little as they backed away, some disappearing into the surrounding buildings.

“We were supposed to do this without making a scene!” You reminded them. Neither really appeared to be listening, though.

There was movement ahead of you, and you looked up to see a small crowd approaching. Well, shit. They didn’t look like soldiers; they all were casually dressed, and you couldn’t see any weapons on any of them. They regarded the three of you with frightened eyes, leaning into one another to talk quietly amongst themselves. There was someone towards the front of the group that caught your eye. He didn’t move like the rest of them did. There wasn’t any hesitation or fear in the way that he walked. He was muscular, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and he moved like a man who had been in a lot of fights in his life. His hair was dark blonde, the strands brushing his ears. He had a beard, and smudges of dirt on his forehead and cheeks. He was quite different from what you pictured, but seeing him didn’t leave any doubt that you were staring at Steve Rogers.

He didn’t look particularly thrilled to see you.

Not that he could see you, really. Your hood was still up. But you noticed one of your companion’s no longer was, and you looked over at her. Her attention was still completely on the young man she was about to carve up with her sword. Her dark brown hair framed her face in loose waves, falling just below her shoulders.

“Not much of a welcoming party, is it?” she asked as Captain Rogers approached, offering him a small glance. She raised an eyebrow. Apparently no one was impressed with anyone. Wonderful.

“We need to speak with you, Mr. Rogers,” you said to him. “And the King of Asgard. And whoever else is here. It’s very urgent.”

“Urgent enough that you feel the need to attack people in the street?” he asked. He stopped a few feet away from you, glancing at the two men on the ground and being held at sword-point. “Let them up, and then we’ll talk.”

It took a moment, and a discreet punch to your still-hooded companion’s side, but both of them stepped away from the two men. The sword was sheathed, and they both moved to stand on either side of you.

Rogers watched all of this, looking between the three of you with mild interest. You noticed his gaze halted on you, and he did what everyone else tried to do - to see beyond the hood. It made you self conscious, in a way, even though you knew the magic of the garment wasn’t going to waiver. Though did it matter if it did? You’d never met Captain America in person before, or any of the others. But you’d spent about the last two years of your life trying to get to them. And now you were in some kind of strange stand off. Not exactly what you had planned.

“This is best discussed in private,” you told him. Apparently eased by the presence of Mr. Rogers, some of the civilians in the street had wandered back out to witness the commotion. They stood around you in a circle, watching with a bit of eagerness and a bit of fear.

“Where’s Thor?” your female companion asked. Her hand still rested on the hilt of her sword, but her stance was relaxed.

Steve directed his attention to her. “If you tell me who you are, then maybe I can take you to him.”

“Or maybe he’s going to come to us,” she said, smirking. She tilted her head back, eyes looking to the sky. You did the same.

Dark clouds swirled above you. Light flashed from inside, thunder rumbling so loud it seemed to echo in your bones. Streaks of lightning flashed across the sky. Then another, reaching down from the clouds and flashing so bright you lifted a hand to block some of the light. It touched down in front of you, and there was a man standing where it had touched. He was massive; larger than Steve, and with shorter hair, though they both donned facial hair. His eyes glowed for a moment, then faded into a pleasant blue color. He was wearing black armor, the metal on his arms glinting in the sun that had made its reappearance.

For all the attention you paid him, he didn’t pay any to you. His eyes were on another, his mouth slightly agape. “Valkyrie,” he said, stunned.

She smiled at him, lifting her arm as she mockingly bowed. “Your majesty.”

Before she could stand up straight, he was in front of her, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. After a moment, she too, wrapped her arms around him. You could see his fingers digging into her back, like he was afraid she might disappear if he didn’t hold on. You looked away then, feeling rather odd watching, as it seemed like a moment deserving of some privacy. 

When they finally parted, Thor’s hands still rested on her shoulders. He looked her over. “You made it off the ship,” he said, looking to her face. “How?”

The edge of her mouth pulled up into a crooked smile, and she looked over in your direction. You turned, too, just as your male companion reached up and pulled down his hood. “I told you that the sun would shine upon us again, brother.”

If you thought he had a strong reaction to Valkyrie, it was nothing in comparison to that moment. Thor had gone very still. He stared at the black-haired man, who was looking back at him with a small smile. You heard the people around you start to murmur worriedly and gasp in shock, but if Thor heard them, he paid them no mind. He just stared for quite some time, and after a few moments, you could see the tears well in his eyes.

Then he strode forward, and so did Loki, the two meeting and grasping one another, hands smacking against the leather armor each of them wore. Thor’s face was partially obstructed by his brother’s shoulder, but you could see the tears starting to slide down his cheek.

Again, you were pushed to look away, feeling that the intimacy of such a moment was not meant to be shared with you. You noticed that Steve, too, was gazing elsewhere, but there was a small smile on his face. Almost like he was relieved, or happy. You couldn’t blame him. There wasn’t enough happiness, enough joy, to go around these days.

“How is - how is this possible?” Thor asked, bracing Loki’s shoulders as he finally leaned away from him. His voice was heavy from bearing the weight of his emotions. He narrowed his eyes. “Loki, was it a trick -“

“I assure you, it wasn’t a trick,” Loki said. “More of a…carefully thought out plan. I died,” he assured him when Thor opened his mouth to say something. “But I wasn’t necessarily counting on staying that way.”

“How?” the God of Thunder asked.

Loki glanced back in your direction, stepping back from his brother and waving a hand in your direction. “This is Y/N,” he said. “She can help.”

“With what?” Steve asked, stepping forward. He gave Loki a measured look, then laid a supportive hand on Thor’s shoulder before directing his attention to you.

You inhaled a breath, pushing back your own hood. “I can bring them back.”

A heavy silence fell. All the hushed whispers and murmurs came to a halt. Eyes fell to you, and it seemed like everyone was holding a collective breath.

“Who?” Steve asked, his voice barely above a whisper. You didn’t think anyone had ever looked at you the way he did. With a reluctant kind of hope. Someone who wanted so badly to believe in something, but couldn’t quite bring himself to it.

“Everyone,” you answered. “Everyone that’s…gone. I can bring them back. But I need you to help me.”


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your support in this fic! I'm glad you are enjoying it!!

Your statement had gotten the desired reaction; everyone seemed to agree that this was a conversation best had in privacy. You were escorted further down the street, the crowd thinning to just a few of you: You, Loki and Valkyrie, Thor, and Captain Rogers. There were a couple of others that you didn’t recognize nor could guess the name of by reputation alone. You guessed that these were people that Rogers or someone must trust, in order to allow them to tag along. 

After a few minutes, the Captain glanced back over his shoulder at you, waving in a motion meant for you to follow. He headed towards an older building that was in decent condition compared to some of the other ones you’d seen. As you approached, you saw a couple of other people coming out, greeting the Captain, Thor, and the others with warm smiles and kind words while casting curious looks at you as they went by. If this building was being used regularly by the Cap and their followers, then they probably put forth the extra work to keep it in useable condition. 

The inside wasn’t necessarily clean, but it was practical. There was more than enough room for movement, and while there were a lot of items - various supplies, from what you could tell without getting too close of a look - they all appeared to have their own place. There was organization, and a thin layer of dust covering all of it. Though custodial duties hardly seemed to matter in the wake of the apocalypse. 

You thought that the building might have once been a library. There were still some of the tall bookshelves left, though none of them had books on them any longer. No, instead each surface was dedicated to supplies and other useful items. Broken windows were covered with wood, a couple with metal, though you noticed a few had been pulled out of the way to allow natural light in. It was by this natural light which you were expected to navigate, other than following Valkyrie, who was in front of you. Natural light or no, it was still relatively dark in there, and you tripped a couple of times over your own feet. The second time, you might have fallen, if Loki hadn’t reached forward and grabbed you underneath your arm to haul you back up. 

“Careful,” he warned. “Can’t have our savior getting a concussion now.” 

You resisted the urge to tell him to fuck off, instead shooting a glare his way and jerking your arm out of his grasp. He chuckled, and you flashed a vulgar gesture at him. 

Rogers stopped outside one of several doors in the hallway, opening the door and then waving for us to go in. 

“Get word to Tony,” Steve muttered to one of the people that had joined your group that you hadn’t recognized. 

You walked inside. It was a small room, with a rectangle-shaped table and numerous chairs around it. The chairs were mismatched and different styles - one of them was even a recliner. You guessed that the room had once been an office, or maybe even a large closet; it wasn’t intended to hold as many people that were filing in. 

You jumped when you felt a pair of large hands on your shoulders. You tried to spin around, but the hands were firm, moving out over to the side. Looking over your shoulder, you saw Thor right behind you, flashing a warm smile at you. Then he let you go, and he hurried over to claim the recliner at the far end of the table before anyone else could. It was an odd sight, to see the God of Thunder in full battle gear, lounging in a La-Z-Boy recliner. 

Loki sat to the left of his brother in an office chair with wheels. You took the chair on his other side. Your chair was also an office chair, but significantly older and with a large rip on the seat. Valkyrie sat next to you, and the others took the remaining seats. There were still a couple of vacant chairs after everyone was sitting, but Rogers had shut the door before sitting, so you assumed that this meeting was going to take place without the bodies that normally filled those seats. 

Everyone was seated, but no one said anything. Instead expectant stares weighed on you, and you resisted the urge to pull your hood back over your head. 

“So,” Steve said after some time, “how can you bring them back?” 

“It won’t be easy,” you said slowly. You crossed your arms over your chest, uncomfortable with everyone’s undivided attention. Maybe you should have written everything out on a piece of paper (if you could even find one. Most paper these days was just used for burn material) beforehand and then it could have just been passed around. “Honestly, the details don’t matter. I’m just here to tell you that I can do it, but I need help first.” 

Steve’s brows knit together. “Details are important,” he said. “How can I know that you can actually do any of this?” 

You waved a hand in Loki’s direction. “That’s what he’s for,” you claimed. “He was dead. Now he’s not.” 

“I can vouch for her,” Valkyrie said. She leaned forward, bracing her forearms on the table. 

His attention moved from me over to Valkyrie. “You’re...the Valkyrie?” he guessed, assessing her. He must have heard stories from Thor, because there was a certain respect in his expression that hadn’t been there when he had been looking at you and Loki. 

She shrugged. “Brunnhilde. Valkyrie. Call me what you like,” she said. She examined Steve with a mild interest. She, like you, had never met Steve in person before. You both had just heard stories, most of which were by Loki, who claimed that his sense of righteousness and justice were near suffocating. Looking at him, his rough hands resting on the table, caked with dirt and scars, and his steady blue eyes watching the warrior next to you, that wasn’t the impression you got from him. Maybe at one point, he’d been closer to what Loki described. But now, you couldn’t see it. 

“When our ship was...intercepted by Thanos, I managed to escape,” she said. “I had met Y/N on Sakaar years ago - long before either of you had arrived,” she added, glancing at Loki and Thor. “I knew we were going to need her. At the time, not to bring back half the beings of the universe, but I guess it all worked out, didn’t it?” She asked. She looked at you a moment, then her attention shifted back to Steve. “Point is, I know what she can do. She brought this shit stick back to life -” she motioned to Loki “- so if you’d like for the universe to be put back to rights, I’d suggest you listen to what she has to say.” 

Steve considered her words, nodded once, and then leaned back in his chair. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, ma’am, but I hope you’re not planning to bring everyone back one by one.” 

You snorted. “No. Just bringing Loki back took considerable effort. And obviously, bringing back billions of people one-by-one isn’t possible.” You shifted in your seat. “I just need to bring back one person. But I need something in order to do that.” 

“What?” Thor asked. 

“A ship.”


End file.
